A £10 million cliff-top super-development in a seaside Dorset neighborhood was put on hold after wealthy neighbors protested that a mansion’s roof had been replaced with a “Alcatraz-style watchtower.”
The construction of four opulent residences, including a neo-classical palace on an exclusive plot at Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset, is halfway finished.
However, neighbors on the “millionaire’s row” assert that the builders utilized the “cover of covid” to let the work grow “far out of hand” in comparison to the initially approved plans.
They assert that the mansion’s roof-top sun room, which resembles a “watchtower in Alcatraz,” has been added, and that the foundations have been lifted by 4 feet to enhance the sea views.
Additionally, they assert that an expansive two-bedroom extension that is being “disguised” as an indoor pool is being constructed on property that is under legal covenant protection.
There are also claims that the annex’s terraces that face the sea were illegally added.
Neighbors claim that during the pandemic, when no planning officers were able to inspect the work, these extensions were made “incrementally.”
They have previously expressed worry that the additions will “unbalance” the upscale neighborhood and make it seem “ordinary.”
Bayview Developments, the project’s developer, has now put a stop to work in order to avoid legal action as a result of a council probe into the building site.
The location, which looks over Sandbanks’ millionaires’ row, is in the upscale enclave of Canford Cliffs.
Up until it was attacked during World War II, it was home to the opulent Canford Cliffs Hotel.
On the sizable 1.5 acre property, a sizable detached bungalow was afterwards constructed.
Bill Buckler of Bayview Developments purchased the bungalow in 2020 for little over £3 million and had it demolished.
The site was divided into three building plots by his company.
On one plot, they received approval for a detached four-bedroom home for £3 million, and on another, they received approval for two semi-detached townhouses.
On a third property, they got designs for a £4.5 million, four-bedroom residence with an adjoining pool house approved.
However, neighbors’ observations that no hole had been built for a pool raised red flags. Instead, it seemed as though the building was being converted into a two-bedroom extension with balconies that faced the ocean.
The neighborhood BCP Council opened an enforcement probe in March of this year in response to residents’ complaints and issued a warning to the developers that any work done without permission might result in legal action.
For 22 years, Clive Crossley, 91, has resided in the exclusive cul-de-sac.
My complaint was that they didn’t adhere to the property’s architectural language, but the council paid them no attention, the man stated.
“The plan that was proposed is not what is being built.
It has been modified gradually, and everything was done with Covid’s permission.
“I don’t feel well about what’s going here. The developer appears to be getting his wish.
“In my opinion, they have destroyed what was a peaceful and beautiful area to live. I don’t want to get in the way of other people’s activities, but I didn’t want it to go this far.
The issue is that if you concede on one point, they will continue to take things from you one after the other.
“That object on top of the main house reminds me of Alcatraz.” It appears to be a lookout you might find in a prison.
The pool house was being converted into a separate residence, according to a resident of the nearby Ravine Court who asked to remain anonymous. Meanwhile, a hole was being dug for a swimming pool in the mansion’s grounds.
“The council has said that its legal counsel is enabling the developer to submit the proper paperwork, which sounds crap,” she said. That essentially means that you are free to do whatever you want after you have received their approval.
We are concerned that the illegal building will turn out to be simply another house because of a number of minor details, including the size of the windows and the annexe with the pool (which has never had a pool or a hole in it).
It has terraces, which we believe are not permitted, and windows that face our garden.
The two houses are detached even though they were intended to be semi-detached, and he included a plan to convert it later.
The blueprints are difficult to read, but the pictures make the structure appear smaller than it actually is; it is enormous.
The top viewing room, which resembles a bus shelter, is visible from the beach.
Just put, “It’s not like what was there before.”
According to a BCP Council official, Meriden Close is still under investigated.
“Work on some unpermitted works on site has voluntarily stopped, thus a Stop Notice has not yet been issued.”
“The developers are aware that any work carried out without the required planning permit is done at their own risk and may be subject to formal enforcement action,” says the statement.
Retrospective planning applications are currently being prepared for submission to the council in an effort to regularize the situation, though there is no guarantee that planning consent will be granted.
The council has been in discussions with the developer’s agents regarding the unauthorised aspects of the development.